Legal Definitions - decennarius

A decennarius refers to an individual, typically the head of a household, who was part of a historical English legal system known as a "decennary." In this system, which was prevalent in medieval England, a decennary was a group of ten freeholding families (meaning they owned their land outright) who were collectively responsible for the good conduct of each member within their group. If one member committed a crime, the other nine were obligated to produce them for justice or face penalties themselves. Thus, a decennarius was one of these ten responsible individuals, bound by mutual accountability.

• Example 1: In the 12th-century village of Ashworth, ten landowning families, including the heads of the Miller, Baker, and Cooper households, formed a decennary. John Miller, as the head of his family and a freeholder, was considered a decennarius. If his neighbor, Thomas Baker (another decennarius), was accused of a minor theft, John and the other eight heads of families in their decennary were expected to ensure Thomas appeared before the local lord's court for judgment. Their collective responsibility meant they had a vested interest in maintaining order and accountability among themselves.

• Example 2: Imagine a scenario where Robert, a decennarius in the shire of Wessex, suddenly disappeared after being accused of poaching on the lord's land. Because Robert was a decennarius, his flight meant that the other nine heads of families in his decennary were now collectively liable. They would either have to actively search for him and bring him to justice or pay a significant fine to the lord for his absence, demonstrating the shared legal burden and responsibility inherent in the decennary system.